Auden shook hands with his manager.
"It was a great crowd tonight, Auden." Hal said. "Remember, you have to meet with Tusselbaum for the scoring tomorrow. You have composed-"
"Yes, of course. Don't worry about it, Hal." Auden was thrilled to be doing the music for an actual movie. He enjoyed his work with the Buttermilk Falls Philharmonic and the CDs he'd sold, but it was time to travel, you know?
Soon to Hollywood, Auden mused as he let himself in the house. And then more travelling. Orenthia will love the travel, I think.
He went into the parlor, and there she was, filing her blood red nails. Her raven hair tied back in a brief chignon, Orenthia looked up at Auden and smiled icily.
Auden felt a cold fist in the pit of his stomach. Had he done something wrong?
Orenthia was glamorously attired in a snug white pullover and lime pencil skirt, and her glorious legs were on display. Her crimson lips turned up again. But she looked annoyed about SOMETHING.
"I hope everything's okay." Auden began shakily. "I got my first check for the flick and we can leave for California in a couple of days, and I did well at the concert tonight, I think."
"I watched it on PBS, Auden. You didn't miss any notes, for once." Orenthia looked back at her nails.
Auden smiled came closer. "And the check Hal says I'm going to get could buy someone a lot of earrings!"
"Yes. That might make up for you leaving the kitchen in such a deleterious mess this morning? Orenthia doesn't like that, you know."
Auden stared at the floor. He was the best violinist in the state. He was becoming gradually famous, and rather rich for someone who was not a rock musician. And all she cares about is the damn kitchen!
Orenthia was twenty-three years older than Auden; he'd met her under peculiar circumstances, and she fulfilled a sort of maternal need that he had. But Jesus, it was hard to please her sometimes.
On the other hand, with all the adoring fans and people blowing smoke up his ass, Auden needed a reality check now and then.
He watched hungrily as Orenthia breathed deeply, her swelling breasts pushing against the angora sweater. She uncrossed her legs and reached behind a pillow on the divan.
Silly girl. Orenthia always kept a lipstick and compact by her to stay fresh...for Auden, hopefully, although she was a terrible flirt when they went to market, and at parties.
Orenthia pulled a large wooden hairbrush, instead of a lipstick from behind the cushion.
Orenthia tapped it against her hard nails. "Why do you have so much trouble following directions, Auden?"
Auden felt the fist expanding in his stomach. He felt something expanding also in his lower extremities. Orenthia didn't allow him to wear underwear, except occasionally a pair of her panties, and he hoped she wouldn't see the bulge in his crotch.
But no. Not now. "Orenthia, I've been terribly busy. My handler came early to pick me up, and I rushed through the cereal, you were still sleeping-"
"My fault. It's my fault because I wasn't up to make your breakfast, like a goddamn maid, is that it, Audie darling?"
Auden bit the inside of his cheek. "N-no, but I'm really busy. I mean, I teach at the conservatory and then I have concerts, and the-the movie"
"That's all you talk about. The goddamned movie. Come here."
"B-but I thought we would have a nice evening." Auden felt angry tears coming to his eyes. I am, after all, twenty-eight years old.
Why is she like this? Last week I missed watching the World Cup because I left a hair in the bathtub. Bent over the damn tub, she'd held my face to the errant hair and used her other hand to slash my rear with a vacuum cleaner cord.
A surgeon friend of Orenthia's had sewed a "button on the end of Auden's foreskin some time ago, so Orenthia could curtail urination privileges as a punishment, and she'd snapped his penis shut after the bathroom vacuum cleaner whipping.